


Feeling Fine and Fancy Free

by Nikotheamazingspoonklepto



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: AFTG Summer Exchange, Dysphoria, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-23 19:42:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20203432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikotheamazingspoonklepto/pseuds/Nikotheamazingspoonklepto
Summary: Neil buys their first binder. The Twinyards are supportive.





	Feeling Fine and Fancy Free

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a gift for the AFTG 2K19 Summer Exchange! I hope you like it, owlmails/arwensundomiels! You asked for Neil getting a binder and I went with what I know as NB, and added in Trans Aryn. Please enjoy!
> 
> Thank you to Leahlisabeth for running this event and naming the fic. Thanks to my gf who betaed for me! ♡

“Just click confirm,” Andrew urges, not glancing up from his phone.

“What if they don’t fit?” Neil chews their bottom lip, drumming their fingers on their knee, staring at the screen in front of them. 

Andrew sighs. “They will. I measured you three times.”

Neil looks at him, smiling when he tugs their lip from between their teeth, at the soft promise in Andrew’s eyes. The ‘you’ll regret not trying’ Andrew had repeated over the last couple weeks of deciding. Andrew had gone through this before after all, with Aryn, his twin sister, just a little different. So Neil knows Andrew is 100% supportive of this.

It gives Neil the courage to click ‘confirm purchase’ and feels a flutter of excitement at the confirmation email in their inbox.

~

That flutter of excitement is _ nothing _ compared to Andrew dropping the discreetly wrapped package on their lap, lifting his eyebrow in question. “Well?”

Neil is sprinting into the bedroom and swears Andrew is smirking after them. They do hear Aryn asking; “What’s Neil so excited about?” and Andrew replying; “You’ll see.” before appearing in the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Neil opens the package carefully with their pulse thudding excitedly, fingers shaking. Inside is their order, neatly sealed inside a ziplock bag, a beige, tank top binder, as well as a grey one. There is an order form and a set of instructions tucked alongside it; but first, Neil wants to hold it, feel it in their fingers. 

It’s softer than Neil had been imagining, and they find themself surprised by how comfortable it looks. The website said that Neil would be able to go about their daily life, which is awesome and that they can wear it for up to eight hours a day -excluding practice of course. Neil has a compression sports bra for that that Andrew had gotten them, that they wear to practice.

“Help me put it on!” Neil turns to Andrew, who rolls his eyes, but still moves forward to help Neil; that fondness he tries to hide is in his eyes again. 

It’s a bit of a struggle, wiggling into their brand new tank-binder, feeling nervous and excited at the same time. But it’s worth it when Andrew turns them to the mirror and pulls their oversized shirt taut, showing off their smoothed out torso. It makes Neil stare for a long moment, a sense of ease settling inside their chest, holding their shoulders back while turning to look in the mirror. This is the first time Neil doesn’t want to look away from the mirror. They stare for a moment, taking in their appearance, but they feel like something is still missing.

“Well?”

Neil grins, lifting their icy blue eyes to Andrew in the mirror. “Let’s go shopping!”

Andrew’s eyebrows meet his hairline, clearly not expecting his partner to _ want _ to do anything of the sort. Still, like he has since Neil told him that they didn’t feel comfortable in their own skin, Andrew concedes, supporting Neil. That support just makes everything that much easier.

~

Aryn, surprisingly, wanted to come with the moment she figured out that something was different about Neil. It intrigued them, that Aryn even cared enough about their existence to see that. Neil can’t help but stand taller at the knowing look she gave them, commenting off handedly about the first time she bought clothes that made her feel good about her body. Neil finally feels like they have something in common, other than Andrew. Solidarity, maybe?

“Here,” Aryn approaches, her arms laden down with clothing that Neil eyes momentarily. “_These _ will actually fit you, unlike those baggy fashion nightmares you favor.”

When Neil glances at their boyfriend, he just smirks and returns to sifting through the denim jeans. So Neil holds their hands out to accept the clothes, but Aryn shakes her head, grinning. 

“Nuh-uh, get some jeans and we’ll do a lil’ runway show, hurry up Drew!” 

Andrew grunts, but _ finally _ selects a pair of jeans and all but chucks them in Neil’s face, making them fumble to catch them and the second _ and _ third pair that follow. “What are you waiting for?”

Neil rolls their eyes and marches off towards the dressing rooms, the twins following. Butterflies dance in their stomach from both the excitement and anxiety of the situation, despite the binder strapping down their chest.

“Try… this or this, with the dark wash denims!” Aryn demands shoving two tops into Neil’s arms upon arriving at the dressing room. 

“God, you’re more demanding than usual,” Neil mumbles, ignoring the way Aryn flips them off and marches into the dressing room to do as told. 

Usually, Neil can’t even look in the mirror, but today, with their new binder, they can’t help but look once their old shirt is off, standing in only a pair of black boxers and said binder. It’s as if they’re wearing their usual clothes for sleep. Neil doesn’t even glance at the iron burn on their shoulder, still impressed by the flatness of their chest.

“What’s taking so long, Josten?” Aryn demands from the other side of the door, snapping Neil out of their trance. 

“Nothing!” Neil sighs and gives another glance at their reflection, unable to not smile, and steps into the dark wash jeans Andrew picked. At first, they don’t like how fitted they are, but ignores it for now and just grabs the first shirt Aryn picked and tugs it on. 

It’s extremely soft against their skin, especially against their scars and it hugs close to Neil’s torso. It’s only a simple black t-shirt with a logo on the left side, the v-neck threatening to show off a single scar an inch to the right of the hem, but they aren’t even focused on that. Just how smooth their torso is. This is different from wearing an oversized shirt with it pulled taut. This shirt actually fits and they don’t feel the need to have to cross their arms to hide. It’s… it’s _ amazing._

“Well?” Neil steps out of the dressing room, a huge smile splitting across their face, shoulders pulled back and arms comfortably loose at their sides. Andrew’s eyes are dark, dragging over Neil’s body slowly before focusing on their face and Neil swears his lips lift slightly in a smile of his own. That makes them smile all that much more.

“They’re standing up straight for once,” Aryn comments, grinning to herself as if proud of her work. Neil can’t help but laugh and Aryn nudges her brother with her elbow. “We did good, huh?”

Neil’s cheeks burn at the comment, but doesn’t feel the urge to hide and turns to the mirror again. They’ve never willingly done so and never so often before. Especially not in one day. It’s…

“Your dysphoria is gone, right?” Aryn asks, that knowing look on her face when Neil meets her gaze in the mirror.

Neil blinks, realizing just how light they feel, not weighed down by the overwhelming feeling of their own skin suffocating them. Having a way to identify that feeling just makes it that much more real. It makes Neil feel more real. They meet Andrew’s gaze in the mirror next and smile, turning around and crossing the distance between them, hands outstretched, but not touching.

“Yes or no?” Neil asks and with Andrew’s murmured ‘Yes’, they wrap their arms around him, marveling at how good it feels to be chest to chest with him. “Thanks for pushing me.”

Andrew squeezes them and pushes Neil back slightly, tapping their nose. “That was all you.” 

Andrew being a man of few words and fewer compliments makes it more meaningful and a giddy laugh bubbles up inside their chest. Neil latches onto their boyfriend in a tight embrace that has Aryn rolling her eyes and walking away. Neil doesn’t care. They are just so happy and finally at home in their skin. For the first time in a while, they feel free. They feel real.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! Please leave kudos and a comment to let me know what you think!
> 
> ~Nikos

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Feeling Fine And Fancy Free (The Best Of All Best Friends REMIX)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21066923) by [CasTheButler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasTheButler/pseuds/CasTheButler)


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